Monday, December 19, 2011

NIJ Specifications for Military Body Armor

There is no military body armor for sale that can offer 100% protection in all circumstances, at all times. There is always an exception to that however, there is a certain level of body armor that will help protect the wearer from the majority of pistol rounds and can provide a significantly improved level of safety. The National Institute of Justice has developed standards to help you choose the best armor for your needs.

There are four levels of body armor ratings. Each level can protect the wearer depending on the handgun. According to NIJ, the first step to selecting the right body armor is choosing the appropriate level of protection of the body armor thus we should establish the level of protection that users need based on the realistic weapon threat they face. The body armor has not been known to fail to prevent the penetration of a bullet constituting a threat equal to or less than the protection rating of the armor. However, officers have died from the wounds received from weapons or ammunition exceeding the rated protection of the armor. The weight and bulk of the body armor are generally proportional to the level to the level of ballistic protection it provides therefore, comfort decreases as the protection level increases. Departments of the officers should strive to select body armor that their officers will wear, consistent with their ballistic protection requirements to ensure the safety of their people. The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) strongly recommends the selection of armor that protects against both the street threat and the officer’s handguns.

This is all the details and specifications that are according to National Institute of Justice wherein the standards of all military body armors are documented. This will give the wearer or whoever has plans of buying to have a guide in buying the right body armor for you.